Multi-Link WUR Communication for Selective Link Wake-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current low power wake up radio (WUR) technology is limited to single-link communication scenarios and does not address how multi-link devices can efficiently implement this technology to reduce energy waste and latency in wireless fidelity networks.
Innovation Solution
A multi-link device communication method is introduced, allowing a station multi-link device to request and an access point multi-link device to determine which links can be woken up in the WUR mode, using WUR setup request and response frames to manage WUR mode setup and configuration across multiple links.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a station enters deep sleep to reduce energy consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but communication latency increases because the access point cannot communicate with the station until it wakes up
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wake-up radio (WUR) module as an intermediary component that operates in low power mode to receive wake-up packets from the access point. This mediator allows the main 802.11 transceiver to remain in deep sleep while still enabling communication initiation, thus resolving the contradiction between energy saving and communication availability.
2Loss of time
If the station wakes up frequently to check for data to reduce latency, then communication responsiveness is improved, but sleep efficiency decreases and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wake-up radio serves as a mediator that enables the access point to initiate communication by sending wake-up packets during the station's sleep period. This eliminates the need for frequent wake-ups to check for data, as the station can remain asleep until genuinely needed, thus reducing both latency and energy consumption simultaneously.
3Reliability
If the conventional 802.11 transceiver continuously listens to the channel, then communication availability is maintained, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The wake-up radio module acts as an intermediary that takes over the channel listening function during sleep periods. It consumes minimal power (0.1% to 1% of the main transceiver) while maintaining the ability to detect incoming wake-up packets, thus preserving communication availability with dramatically reduced energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the channel listening function from the main 802.11 transceiver and assigns it to a separate, dedicated wake-up radio module. This extraction allows the main transceiver to enter deep sleep while the WUR module continues to monitor the channel, separating the high-power and low-power operations.
4Use of energy by moving object
If the wake up radio module is used to replace the 802.11 transceiver for listening, then energy consumption is reduced, but the system becomes limited to single-link communication scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the wake-up radio functionality to support multi-link operation by enabling the WUR module to handle wake-up packets for multiple links (2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz bands). The WUR setup request/response mechanism allows configuration of which links can be woken up, making the single WUR module universal across multiple communication links and frequency bands.
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates to a multi-link device communication method and a communication device. According to the method, the station multi-link device and the access point multi-link device can determine, for a plurality of established links, which links can be woken up in the WUR mode, so that the access point multi-link device can flexibly wake up a specific link in the station multi-link device, thereby reducing power consumption for the station multi-link device.